Miami Dolphins use franchise tag on Mike Gesicki

Former Penn State Football tight end Mike Gesicki was tagged by the Miami Dolphins Tuesday morning 

The Miami Dolphins have used the franchise tag on former Penn State Football tight end Mike Gesicki, hours before Tuesday’s deadline to apply the tag.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter was first to report that the Dolphins had tagged Gesicki.

Gesicki, 26, is coming off catching a career-high 73 passes for 780 yards and a pair of touchdowns this past season.

New Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel could opt to use Gesick in a similar role to how he deployed George Kittle in San Francisco, or even move Gesicki into more of a slot receiver role, given his reliable hands and playmaking ability over the middle of the field.

If Gesicki winds up playing under the tag this season, he would collect just over $10.9 million in 2021. But, the Dolphins could also work towards a long-term contract with the second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Through the first four seasons of his career, Gesicki has caught 199 passes for 2,255 yards, and 13 touchdowns. He’ll likely continue to be a key piece of the Dolphins’ passing game, built around Tua Tagovailoa.

As a four-year starter for the Nittany Lions, Gesicki logged 129 receptions for 1,481 yards and 15 touchdowns.